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Many Obese Kids Think They're Thinner Than They Are

They won't take steps to reach a healthy weight if they don't see the problem, experts note

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Many obese and overweight American children and teens look in the mirror and tell themselves their weight is fine, U.S. health officials reported Wednesday.

"Being overweight or obese is associated with adverse health outcomes, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes," said lead researcher Neda Sarafrazi, a nutritional epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics.

"Children who have a misperception of their weight are not going to take steps to control their weight or reduce their weight, and reduce the risk of future health complications," she said. "If people perceive their weight accurately, they can start weight-control behavior."

According to the CDC report, 34 percent of Hispanic-American children and teens believe they are thinner than they are, as do 34 percent of black kids and 28 percent of white kids.

In addition, about 81 percent of overweight boys and 71 percent of overweight girls think their weight is about right. Among obese boys, 48 percent think they're at the right weight, as do 36 percent of obese girls, the researchers found.

There are also differences in weight perception based on family income. Obese and overweight kids and teens are more likely to consider themselves at about the right weight when they come from poorer homes than similar kids from richer homes (31 percent vs. 26 percent).

Overall, about 30 percent of kids and teens misperceive their weight as being too fat or too thin, according to the CDC. This misperception is more common among boys (32 percent) than girls (28 percent), the researchers added.

Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at New York University Medical Center in New York City, noted that "weight perceptions are not as simple as asking how children view themselves at their current weight and comparing that with CDC weight definitions and categories."

There are many factors that influence how children view themselves, including cultural and socioeconomic norms and the media, as well as peer and environmental influences, she said.